So I got a vintage miltary jacket with the intention of overdyeing it. Basically I've been wanting a visvim kilgore / wtaps jungle jacket / post overalls bdu jacket and thought it might be a fun, cheap experiment to play around with an original first. It is a 3rd pattern jungle jacket in ERDL camo. The tag with DSA number fell off so I don't know precisely what year it is. Robert Duvall's Napalm sniffing Lt. Colonel Kilgore (for whom the Visvim version is named) wears the regular olive drab version in Apocalypse Now.

It was supposed to come out a deep blueish-black with the camo still just visible. However this was my first time experimenting with cold water fiber reactive dye and I ran out of salt (which works as the fixative) and so I lost most of the colour when I rinsed it afterwards. I blame the non-metric measures all the dyeing recipes seemed to use - I don't know how much a US 'cup' is, particularly if I go to a store and buy something by weight. Ughhh

I might have another go at some point, after having bulk bought salt. Or with some good old fashioned ritdye. (I didn't use ritdye first time round as its supposed to be quite harsh on cotton fabric and this thing has been well loved / has some holes. That and the cold water dyes are supposed to give good colour).

before:

after:

so not a huge difference, but it is darker and has a bluish tinge.
The other problem is I now really want a fashunz version ie. Visivim

I've got a question for anybody who's handy with a sewing machine: what is this stitch that is going around the thumbhole of these gloves to reinforce it, and how do you do it?

Many thanks

edit: Another question. I need a cheap weekender in a neutral color and this one from everlane looks good to me. However I want dye the brown leather handles and zipper details black. Would just stripping the color and rubbing black dye on work?

I've had this camel/beige jacket from ZARA for some years as my 'beater' jacket...

I was looking for something on a shelf in my bedroom when l accidently dropped my GF nail polished on the floor, and it splattered on a few things around, including that jacket...

l decided to give it a new life by masking the polish splatters with some acrylic paint.

the colours and patterns look randomly applied but l put them mostly on the polish stains...

The result is a little WTFish (and somewhat clownish), but l personnally love it l've enjoyed this jacket ever since, it's been my favourite summer jacket and good conversation starter, some compliments and weird looks too..

Now back to the WAYWT for an outfit with my "paintball jacket" as call it lol

I've had this camel/beige jacket from ZARA for some years as my 'beater' jacket...
I was looking for something on a shelf in my bedroom when l accidently dropped my GF nail polished on the floor, and it splattered on a few things around, including that jacket...
l decided to give it a new life by masking the polish splatters with some acrylic paint.
the colours and patterns look randomly applied but l put them mostly on the polish stains...
The result is a little WTFish (and somewhat clownish), but l personnally love it l've enjoyed this jacket ever since, it's been my favourite summer jacket and good conversation starter, some compliments and weird looks too..
Now back to the WAYWT for an outfit with my "paintball jacket" as call it lol

I've had this camel/beige jacket from ZARA for some years as my 'beater' jacket...
I was looking for something on a shelf in my bedroom when l accidently dropped my GF nail polished on the floor, and it splattered on a few things around, including that jacket...
l decided to give it a new life by masking the polish splatters with some acrylic paint.
the colours and patterns look randomly applied but l put them mostly on the polish stains...
The result is a little WTFish (and somewhat clownish), but l personnally love it l've enjoyed this jacket ever since, it's been my favourite summer jacket and good conversation starter, some compliments and weird looks too..
Now back to the WAYWT for an outfit with my "paintball jacket" as call it lol

I've got a question for anybody who's handy with a sewing machine: what is this stitch that is going around the thumbhole of these gloves to reinforce it, and how do you do it?

Many thanks

edit: Another question. I need a cheap weekender in a neutral color and this one from everlane looks good to me. However I want dye the brown leather handles and zipper details black. Would just stripping the color and rubbing black dye on work?

hi Firefly

That stitch is done by a sewing machine called a serger. Its not a reinforcing stitch.
Its purpose is to keep the cut edges of cloth from fraying.